Home
by BlackHairdye.SilverFindings
Summary: Life, sometimes, likes to play God. It likes to strangle and suffocate the brightest of hearts. Fili Durinson was one of those hearts, a teenager hidden in a mountain of duty. And then a toy maker reached in a helped him out. Modern high school AU. Fili/Bofur Thorin/Bilbo
1. I Miss My Mom and Dad for This?

**A/N**: Well. You know me. I've got a terrible weakness for modern AU high school fanfictions, it was only a matter of time really... So here this is. I don't know why but i was having a really difficult time writing both Fili and Kili and it just... so pardon any OOC-ness, and if you have any comments or suggestions, please MAKE THEM.

My friend summarized this story like this: _fili is angst. kili is 3. bilbo and thorin is DOMESTIQUE. Modern AU_... That was a very early draft, mind you...

**Fandom: **The Hobbit.

**Characters/main pairing: **Fili/Bofur and Bilbo/Thorin

**Rating:** M

**Warnings:**

Possible OOCness.

Sex in the future.

Curse words.

AU.

Teenage Angst.

Student/teacher relationship.

Feels.

Apologies for spelling and grammar.

Goodnight and good luck.

**I Don't Know Where I'm Going  
But I don't Think I'm Coming Home.**

**Chapter 1: I Miss My Mom and Dad For This?**

Fíli glanced out of the window, both headphones in his music turned all the way up. He thought that maybe, just maybe the music would drowned out everything and the next time he blinked he wouldn't be in the situation he was in now. He wasn't so lucky. The boy closed his eyes once, for a long time, hoping he'd open them to find his old ceiling, but it wasn't. It was the blur of scenery. He leaned forward and rested his head on the window. The glass fogged up with his exhale. Fíli watched the black rocks and green hills roll by. The car made it way across the twisty roads until it slowed and Fíli opened his eyes again, watching as the town popped up into view, colorful houses sprawling before looming mountains. Finally the car turned off the main road and followed a smaller street up, up, up, into a small neighborhood, and after a few more turned they pulled into the driveway of a light brown house three story house, almost over taken by vines, a spire climbing off part of it, an old blue Rambler parked father in the round driveway. Fíli's uncle shifted into park and got out of the driver's seat, Fíli sat in the passenger seat before Kíli poked him in the ribs and he got out, his younger brother shuffling out of the middle of the bench seat. Thorin stood before his nephews and shrugged.

"This is it." he said and nodded toward the door. "Come on inside." He walked up the stairs, leaving the bothers next to the truck, both with their singular rucksacks, Kíli following before his older brother. The interior of the house was conspicuously clean and well cared for, a strong contrast to the yard and the owner. It was bright inside, and warm, 'homey' for anyone but the two brothers. Last time Fili had seen their uncle the inside had been a typical bachelor pad, things piled on top of things, dishes soaking in the sink, ashtrays on every surface. And that had been familiar, home and comforting. But now. It was like walking into someone else's life.

"Uh, your rooms are at the top of the stairs if you want to go get settled." Thorin said pointing. "Kíli yours is at the end of the hall on the right. Fíli you've got the turret room"

"So considerate." Fíli muttered as his brother started up the stairs.

"Fíli." Thorin replied, grabbing his nephew as he started for the stairs also, Kíli stopping halfway up. Thorin gave him a look, an understanding one and Fíli nodded slowly as the door opened again, and a man entered. The Durin family turned to watch him, he was short with a head of curly blonde hair. The man wore a dark jacket that was speckled with rain. He looked up as he dropped his keys on the table next to the door.

"Oh. Hello." He smiled. "Fíli, and Kíli I presume? Bilbo Baggins, at your service."

"Fíli,"

"And Kíli"

"At yours…." The boy said looking to their uncle, who opened and closed his mouth a few times before putting his hands on his hips.

"Right. Yeah. Good." Thorin nodded "You've all met. Now, Fíli, I was saying, your room is in the turret"

"Hold up." Fíli said looking between the man who'd entered, with his pocket handkerchief and waistcoat (since when had waistcoats come back into fashion?) to his uncle, with a tangled ponytail and leather jacket.

"Who is this, Boggins person?" His brother finished his thought for him.

Thorin rubbed the back of his head and pulled a few faces. "He's uh… He lives here. With me. Like… as a partner."

"Like a gardener?" Kíli asked from the stairs.

"No." Fíli answered. "Like a lover." He turned from the pair of men and started for the stairs as Kíli smirked and wolf whistled at his uncle. "Let's go." Fíli told his brother grabbing his arm and pulling him up the stairs disappearing down the hall. Once both boys were gone, and Fíli's door was slammed, Thorin slumped, rubbing his forehead, and breathing deep. Bilbo crossed to him and wrapped his arms around him, holding him softly. Thorin opened his mouth and Bilbo shushed him.

"It's okay. It's a bad situation." He whispered "He'll be okay."

"I hope so."

* * *

The room was a maze of cardboard boxes, each of them specifying that they were Fíli's, with a detailed list of the inventory of each box. Fíli had spent every afternoon in his old room making the lists. They had been his excuse for staying indoors while all the other teenagers were making bad choices. They had been his excuse for staying home, for avoiding people asking if he was okay, if his mom was alright. Of course she wasn't alright. But it wasn't as if the concerned glances helped at all. So he'd stayed home, packing, making lists, listening to loud music.

Fíli crossed to one tower of boxes and moved a few boxes before opening one with his switch blade and digging around until he pulled out his stereo, a small black box that he plugged into the outlet next to his new bed, plugging his phone in and pushing play. More loud music. The bed was done up with colorfully striped sheets and a comforter. It was as if his uncle's boyfriend had tried to make the room welcoming for Fíli. Fíli rolled his eyes and stripped the bed quickly, dumping the bedding in the hall. He had his own sheets thank you very much.

Inside the room again he kicked off his boots, letting him fall, slumped like old skin at the end of his bed, his leather jacket draped over the footboard. Fíli jumped onto the bed leaning against the head board and exhaling slowly before digging into his rucksack, pulling out a hand-rolled cigarette from his case, lighting it and pulling his knees to his chest as Korpiklaani and tobacco smoke filled his room.

He didn't know how long he sat there, using a soda can as an ashtray, but finally there was a knock on the door and Thorin entered his room, stepping over the bedding with a look.

"I hope you didn't burn a hole in those sheets." Thorin said standing at the door. Fíli opened his eyes shook his head.

"No. Its just that I have my own sheets." He said. "They're mustard yellow." He added.

"I know." Thorin said sitting on the bed with a small smile. "I'm sorry. I should have told you about Bilbo."

Fíli shrugged and tapped off his ashes as his uncle lit up his own cigarette. "It's okay. Just. It's like everything is suddenly different." He shrugged again.

"I know. And it was wrong of me to think it would be alright to throw you into a situation without tell you all the details." Thorin said patting Fíli's knee. "But you will give Bilbo a chance? He's a very nice man. He makes me laugh."

"I haven't seen you laugh since dad's funeral." Fíli muttered.

"Blasphemy! Do not spread lied about me child!" Thorin laughed reaching out and ruffling Fíli's hair.

"Hey ya! Don't touch my hair!" The teenager replied laughing and waving his hand in front of himself blindly.

"Don't speak lies!" Thorin retorted as his laughter subsided and his nephew tried to pat down his hair. "Bilbo's gonna think you stripped the sheets because you hate him." Thorin sighed looking toward the door.

"He did give me 12 year-old girl sheets." Fíli smiled a little reaching to relight his cigarette. "I'll apologize to him." Thorin smiled too.

"Good." He stood then, and nodded looking around the room ."Well. I'll leave you to y'know, get everything sorted."

"Thorin?" Fíli asked as Thorin started to leave. "When are we gonna get to see mom?"

"Soon." Thorin replied.

"Really?"

"I hope."

Fíli retreated from his cave of cigarette smoke when Bilbo stuck his head in to announce dinner, a statement that Fíli tried to hide his enthusiasm about, but failed at as he jumped from his bed, yanking his phone from the headphone jack on the stereo. Bilbo seemed pleased to have received this response, and ignored the bedding piled at the door. Bilbo left the room, but was soon chased down by the teenager, the boy was taller then Bilbo, by at least four inches and he was the short one in his family.

"I'm sorry about earlier." Fíli said shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt. "And the sheets," He added quickly. "It's not like I don't like them, well I don't, and I don't hate you, I just, I have my own see...?"

Bilbo looked up at the youth and smiled "It is perfectly fine. I understand." Fíli smiled a touch before Bilbo added "I didn't lose my parents young, and I could never try to understand your pain, but know that I am here, should you ever need to talk to someone."

A muscle in Fíli's jaw clenched and he said quietly "My mom ain't dead yet." Bilbo opened his mouth once more to say that he was aware, but the younger sibling rushed up the stairs to grab hold of his brother's hand and, with excited words, exclaimed that there was actual food downstairs, like with meat and vegetables and gravy, oh by the King of Kazad-dûm, they had _gravy_.

"Fíli, come on, you've just got to see this spread!" Kíli crowed pulling his brother along, down the stairs and into the kitchen, where there was a roast chicken sitting in a glass dish with all manner of colorful root vegetables, purple potatoes and carrots and rutabagas and parsnips and onions, all floating in the fat and juices of the chicken.

"See?!" Kíli happily exclaimed "Not that frozen stuff you used to make." Fíli nodded, his eyes a tad wide with amazement at the food before them. Their uncle stood before the stove, carving up the bird, as his nephews crowded him happily trying to pick at the bird while he cut it into manageable pieces. Bilbo watched from the door, amused by the brothers, and yet still bothered by the look Fíli had given him in the hall, he had not meant to offend the boy, and yet, it seemed like he had done just that.

"What would you boys like to drink?" Bilbo asked finally, shaking himself as he watched them serve themselves, their fingers slick with grease.

"I'll have a lager, yeah?" Fíli said, only his uncle catching the narrow smirk on his nephew's lips.

"He's kidding." Thorin announced at Bilbo's entirely concerned look. "He's totally... kidding." Thorin shot his older nephew a look and Fíli's eyes danced with a dark light. "Stop it, yeah? Stop." He gave Fíli a look and pointed at him with a finger that's nail was black as soot, dead from being smashed at work.

"Fine," Fíli said still smirking as he made an apologetic gesture. "Just root beer then, if you've got it."

"I'll be the one having the lager then." Kíli nodded jumping up on the counter.

"You couldn't hold your liquor if they paid you." Fíli rolled his eyes as he stuffed a chuck of chicken into his mouth. His brother shot him a look and smirked.

"I'm not the one who woke up after a party in our linen closet now am I?" Kíli asked as Fíli shout him a dirty look from the door joining the kitchen to the dinning room, eyes wide as he turned to glance at his uncle. Thorin gave him a disapproving glance and Fíli let out a sheepish smile,

"Don't tell mom?" He suggested and Thorin shook his head minutely as the group proceeded into the dinning room.

"Oh no she's going to here about this." He said as they took seats around the table and the boys made no motion to use their utensils, digging into the chicken and vegetables and gravy with their bare hands. Bilbo watched them with wide eyes and flat expression before turning to share the look with his lover. Thorin shrugged before starting in on his own meal, with a knife and fork mind you.


	2. Stops My Bones From Wondering

**Chapter 2: Stops My Bones From Wondering Just Who I Am.**

There was a mountain drawn on his paper. No notes. Just a magical mountain in green pen. Fíli Durinson glanced up and frowned at the white board full of math notes. He could have sworn he'd been taking notes. He glanced over at Ori across the class room. His cousin didn't seem to have anything written on his paper either, but Ori apparently excelled at math. Heel he was a freshmen in Algebra 2. Fíli frowned back at his paper. how could his cousin understand all of this.

"Durinson?" Their new teacher stood looking directly at him.

Fíli's head shot up. instinctively pulling his notebook closer to him. "Yeah?"

"Tell me what the factoring for this equation is." He said looking at Fili over the top of his glasses, which he wore on the very tip of his nose.

"Uh..." Fíli's eyes darted around the board just trying to find the equation. "Um... I... I don't... I don't know."

"I know you don't." Their teacher put his hands, closed into fists, on his hips "I know you don't, maybe if you didn't spend so much time drawing you would. This isn't _art _class, Fíli Durinson, this is _math _class." their teacher seemed to have trouble understanding Fíli's name was not 'FIL-i' it was 'FEEL-i' "How about you? Can you factor this?" Their teacher motioned to Ori who promptly smiled and proceed to factor out x2 + 7x +12. Their teacher looked back at Fíli.

"Your cousin can do it. And he's a freshmen."

"Yeah. Alright. Sorry." Fíli mumbled looking back at his magical mountain and proceeded to draw a dragon next to it, labeling it- Mr Smaug, the name of his math teacher.

"Mr. Durinson." Smaug said as the class filtered out, calmly restacking the papers on his desk. "Come here." Fíli watched his cousin leave the room, free from the wrath of their math teacher.

"Uh... I gotta go." Fíli said looking to the door once more.

"I'm sure you can bare to be separated from your family for just a moment." Smaug smiled.

"But." Fíli sighed "I gotta go pick up my little brother. And my uncle will worry."

"I'll write you a note. I'm sure Thorin Durinson will understand." Smaug smiled again as Fíli slowly approached his desk. "Now, I've noticed that you're struggling in my class." Fíli swallowed and fiddled with his hair, tugging on the braid that his brother had done last night, the rest of his hair pulled back into a low ponytail. "I want you to succeed, I do. But you're not going to be able to pass at this rate."

"Yeah. I know." Fíli mumbled "I'm sorry. I just. I'll try harder."

Smaug pursed his lips and sighed "I don't know it that'll be enough, now I am going to recommend getting a tutor... Ah Mr Broadbeam, I'll be right with you," Fíli turned to see a man standing at the back of the room, of fair height with a dark bristly mustache and a Russian trapper hat. The man had a cheery face, and was wearing a green sweater with brown buttons that was mis-buttoned. There was something Fíli found strangely endearing about the man, "Or even asking your cousin for help," Smaug said directing Fíli's attention back to him, watching as Smaug leaned forward and put on his 'I understand you' face. "I understand what you're going though, with the move and your mother, but life goes on and I doubt that Dis Durinson would like to see her eldest son fail algebra 2-"

"Listen, Mr Smaug," Fíli snapped "I get it. I'll try harder. But I really, _really_ need to go get my brother, so please can I go now? My little brother is _waiting_." And he turned to leave, his bag knocking into one of the desks. As he left he pushed past Mr Broadbeam with his funny hat and mis-buttoned sweater, trying to get out of the classroom before the tears welling up in his eyes spilled over. He rushed quickly across the quad and down the stairs to the parking lot. He had to stop and take a deep breath before he could unlock the door his hands were shaking so bad, and the keys jangled in his hands, he didn't even noticed that the window was rolled down. Throwing his back in the backseat of the Rambler, Fíli sat in it for a moment, his hands tight, knuckles white, on the leather clad steering wheel. Thorin had handed him the keys to the Rambler Sunday night, saying he was sorry they had to sell his other car. Fíli had nodded and taken the keys and gone out and sat inside the little blue car and listened to his phone and wanted nothing more then to text his mother.

Fíli leaned his head forward with such a severity that when his forehead hit the steering wheel it honked the horn, and he jerked back in surprise, biting his tongue. Checking the lithe muscle in the review mirror he mentally chastised himself as he watched blood well up along the side. When Fíli looked up he saw the teacher with the funny hat watching him for the stairs, a cigarette in his hand. He waved as Fíli started the car, Fíli threw the car into the gear and glanced back at Mr Broadbeam in his mirror before headed off toward the middle school to find his brother sitting on one of the cement planters. The middle school got out earlier then the high school anyway, and now Kíli had been forced to sit and wait even longer. Fíli greeted him with a half smile as Kíli slid into the passenger seat. Fíli turned down the radio, All-American Rejects playing one only in the background.

"Sorry I'm late." He said pulling out of the middle school. "I got held after class."

"It's okay." Kíli said and there was a light silence before he launched into a detailed explanation of his day at school, talking the whole drive home apparently forgiving his brother for being late.

They came in though the kitchen, silent as they could be, stopping briefly to steal themselves two- or six- of Mr. Baggins' biscuits, greedily munching on them in his homely kitchen, crumbs falling on this jackets.

"Do you think Mr Boggins will mind us eating these?"

"Probably. Don't tell him okay? Uncle will kick us if he finds us harassing the boy too much,"

"But where's the fun in that?"

"I never said 'don't'. I said don't let uncle _catch _us. Listen better."

"My listening is fine however," A voice for the door called and Fíli and Kíli turned to see their uncle watching them with shirt bottoms full of biscuits. "Saving up for the apocalypse, boys?"

"Thorin." Fíli smiled. "Hi."

"Where are these biscuits Thorin?" Someone roared from the other room and a towering figure appeared behind Thorin, shaved head, tattooed.

"My nephews were just bringing them in." Thorin smiled "You remember Dwalin don't you? Dwalin with is Fíli, and Kíli" He motioned and Dwalin shook their hands before taking the biscuits from them, replacing them on the plate and carrying it off. Kíli seemed to be in a state of shock.

"Fíli, would you come down here please?" Thorin was standing with his back to Fíli, hands clasped. Fíli swallowed and retreated from the stairs.

"Thorin?" he asked twisting his hands. In the living room sat Gandalf and Balin, Dwalin he presumed was routing around in Bilbo's kitchen.

"I got a call from your math teacher today." Thorin said turning to look at his nephew.

"Yeah...?" He responded, trying to decide when Smaug had called his home, it must have been after he'd called him an asshole "I know. That's why I'm late. I'm sorry." Thorin nodded slowly.

"This is unacceptable, Fíli. You are heir to one of the largest gem mining and import companies in the country, and you risk high school failure, because of a math class?" Gandalf announced turning from his pipe in hand, to stare down the 17-year-old in ripped jeans and combat boots and a t-shirt with some kind of band logo and a jacket with little shoulder studs.

"Gandalf," Fíli started. The other man had practically been a grandfather to him, in his prim suits and curled mustache. "I'm sorry. I'll do better. Its hard. I'm trying as best I can!" He turned desperately to his uncle. "Please, don't tell Mom, _please_." he added. "Please. I'll get a tutor and everything."

"Precisely." Gandalf said standing and pursing his lips "That is why Master Balin is here, to teach you, which is what that dirty lair Smaug should be doing." He nodded once and Fíli stared between them all.

"So... We're not going to tell my mom?" He asked hopefully.

"Oh no, Dís knows already." Thorin said. "She's not pleased either, by the way." Fíli groaned unhappily and retreated upstairs to lay face down on his bare mattress until Kíli arrived in his room to just on his back and inform him that dinner was on the table. Fíli again ate only with his hands.

* * *

Fíli had altogether dreaded math class the next day, trying everything he could to avoid that section of the school until he absolutely had to go to class, and that was only after dawdling with his bag straps and was forcibly drug to class by his cousin. Fíli and Ori arrived outside the classroom all of the students chatting happily outside the classroom all seemingly widely excited.

"What's going on?" Ori asked as they showed up outside the room, Ori's hand disappeared from Fíli's coat, the other boy slouching and leaning his head against a pillar outside the room.

"The Dragon isn't here" one of the girls replied and Fíli looked up expectantly. Within two days of class he understood why they called Smaug 'The Dragon'.

"Are you fucking kidding?" Fíli asked pushing past them to try the door, it was locked, and uncommon happenstance when Smaug was present. "FUCK YEAH!" Fíli shouted "Thank Mahal." He leaned forward with a happy sigh as there were noises behind him, someone coming though the crowd.

"Excuse me," They said tapping him on the shoulder. "I need to get in, lad." Fíli turned to see Mr Broadbeam from the other day. He had a very ugly patchwork scarf twisted around his neck, and a warm smile on his face.

"Oh yeah. Sorry." Fíli murmured backing up and letting Mr Broadbeam by, tugging on one of his braids as the older man brushed by him, unlocking the room and letting the class inside. Fíli entered last, slowly moving to his desk, stealing quick glances at the teacher at the board who was quickly scrawling his name across it, Bofur Braodbeam spelled out in expo marker.

"So, yeah alright, listen up now." He said turning to the class, "As you all know, probably, I ain't some kinda math teacher. I'm the shop teacher. Now Mr Smaug had a family emergency and had to rush off so I'll be teachin' yah today." He smiled once more. "Which it seems your actual teacher didn't leave any kinda lesson plan for the day... I suppose you all are just gonna have to find something to do..." He rocked back on his heels and smiled again, the rest of the class grinning victoriously to one another as Mr Bofur Broadbeam walked back to his desk. Fíli smiled along with the rest of them and dug out his book, one for class, one that that he was 8 chapters behind in. But Fili seemed to not be able to concentrate of the words, to reason why anyone would set fire to an island as a joke, and finally his desk was invaded by his classmates, interrupting his reading completely.

"Hey." The tallest one said, pulling the chair in front of Fíli's desk over as an other, this one with dark hair, sat backwards in another. "You're Fíli right?"

"Uh..." Fíli started putting his book down slowly. "Yeah."

"Herc," The blonde one smiled holding out a hand. "This is Jason."

"Hi." Fíli nodded shaking their hands. "What's uh, up?"

"Well, we saw your patch, on your jacket," Jason said and Fíli bent around to look at the patch on his coat before looking back at Jason. "And we figured that you didn't have any friends yet."

"Thanks." Fíli said with a roll of his eyes.

"We were wondering if you wanted to go to a show this… what day is it?" Herc asked looked at Jason.

"Saturday. At like. 7:00." Jason nodded. 'Well. 8:00 really, cause the first band that's playing is shit. Like actual shit. It's 3 bucks."

"And we were thinking we could hang out before the show, and like get burgers. You eat meat right?" Herc asked searching Fíli's face. "Cause you look like one of those kids that could go either way. Meat or… no meat."

Fíli was silent for a moment before saying, "Are you asking whether I'm gay… or if I'm a vegan. Cause in bed I can swing either way, but at the dinner table, I'm a conservative. Meat and potatoes." He made a motion indicating one side of the desk in equal proportions to the other. All three of them shared a laugh and phone numbers before the class ended, and they parted ways in the parking lot, Herc and Jason getting into a soft-top Jeep without the sides, while Fíli shivered at the though of driving around in that car and unlocked his own.

"Hey!" Hey!"

Fili looked up as he turned the key in the lock and watched as Mr Broadbeam rushed across the parking lot toward him. The older man was smiling with his silly hat and itchy scarf, a book in his hand.

"Fíli, yeah?" He asked as he reached Fíli's car. Fíli nodded. "Yah forgot this." He held out the book Fíli ad been reading in class. "I thought I should return it, Smaug tends to have an unfortunate end for books left in his hands."

"Oh. Yeah well. Thanks." Fíli nodded taking the book.

"Do yah, uh… read often? I noticed the book was well read…" Mr Broadbeam looked down at the book in Fíli's hands, the boy's fingers moving over the bent cover.

"I read. Yeah. But not… I've never read this before." Fíli said looking back at the other man, at his dark eyes. "Its my uncle's boyfriend's copy. For uh, class y'know." He wiggled the paperback in his grasp. "But I read. Sometimes. Most of the time. Sort of." Fíli cleared his throat.

"Yeah." Mr Broadbeam smiled "I'm uh, Bofur Broadbeam by the way," He said holding out his hand, shuffling the papers in his arms. "Shop teacher by day, toy maker by night."

"Oh, Fíli Durinson, BoyWonder, god of poetry, prince to Arkenstone Gem Imports." Fíli said shaking the other's hand.

"Oh, well, that's quite an impressive title." Mr Broadbeam smiled. "Another Durinson? I worked with yer uncle for a time. But, uh, I should let yah go, y'u've got to pick up yer brother, yeah?"

"Oh…. Yeah." Fíli said glancing down, sucking in his cheek. "Uh. Listen I just moved here, yeah? And I was wondering if you know any good bookshops…" Mr Broadbeam smiled.

"I was wonderin' if yah'd ask. There is one down town I think yah'd find pleasin'. Coffee house too…" He said letting the sentence hang in the air before adding "I'll be seeing yah?"

"Yeah… Okay" Fíli smiled opening his car door

"And lad, yah can call me Bofur." The older man added and Fíli nodded, smiling all the way home.

* * *

He'd always hated hospitals and it wasn't because of the death in them, the sorrow and the pain. It was the smell. He's never been afraid of death, never thought of it as something to cower in the face of, always taught it was not the ending for a life, but the beginning of a new one. But the skin of the hospital made him cringe and swallow back bile. It was the smell of death, sweet and rotting, covering in vain by antiseptic and cleaner, the odor of the dead hiding malevolently under the stink of piss and soap. He hated it. And yet, for the last 8 years of his life, half his life, he'd been spending more and more time in hospitals. But there was nothing he could do, and hell maybe one day he'd be spending as much time in them as his mother.

This new hospital was any thing but. It was much older then the one back home, none of that new and shiny corporate bullshit, none of that movie veneer, none of that make-believe shiny plastic, this place was flashing florescences in the halls and gated industrial elevators, abandoned basements with claw marks. It reminded Fili of an asylum. Thorin had flicked him in the temple when he'd voiced that observation out loud in the elevator at it crept it's way up to the floor where their mother was.

"What if she's asleep?" Kili asked as they started down the maze of hospital hallways peering into every room they passed, Thorin drumming his fingers on his leg.

"What if?" He asked as as nurse passed them, harding looking up from her clip board.

"I mean, like, is it okay to wake her up? She's like sick and stuff. Or are we just gonna leave? Cause I don't wanna leave." Kili said skipping once, following his uncle and brother a ways behind, not as concerned as them with finding the room. "Like what's the right thing to do?" Kili kept talking as they searched the ward, jabbering on about sleeping hospital patients, his brother watching as Thorin's brow drew tighter and tighter with frustration, until Kili's voice rose to an other question.

"Why didn't Bilbo come with us?" He asked finally, the whole group suddenly stopping, with out warning, and Kili tripped over his own feet for a moment, Fili righting his brother before he fell.

"Because." Thorin said turning and heading into a room, apparently finally finding the one belonging to his sister. The room was not all plain white like in films and adverts, it had a wall painted a muted purple and one that was mint green and a window even, bedding dotted with little circles, a curtain printed with pastel colored squares. It was not white. The palest thing in the room was Fili's mother, white faced in her bed reading. Her hair was as dark as her brother's and her youngest's, her hairline so much farther back then it used to be, thinner too, but she was still beautiful, Fili thought, fiery and regal like all the Durinsons.

Her eyes flicked upwards as they entered, bright and youthful, skin crinkling like paper around her eyes. "Fili! Kili!" She smiled putting the book own. There was a moment while Kili tired to retain his excitement before failing and rushing to embrace her mother, hooked up to all her tubes and wires. Dis embraced her son happily as Fili and Thorin stood on the edges of the room waiting until she looked over and motioned for them, Fili rushing to her side with the excitement of his brother.

"You." she said with a smile as she pulled back. "I've heard some despairing things about you." She touched him lightly on the nose.

"Yeah." Fili said scrunching up his nose "I'm sorry." Dis shrugged.

"Don't be sorry, life's too short for that, just be better."

Fili smiled. "I'm trying."

"Good." Dis said and patted the hospital bed indicating they should sit. "I'm so glad you all came to visit me. I was getting so bored."

"At least you don't have a roommate, y'know?" Fili said as Thorin dragged a chair over. "You can just throw ragers all the time."

"Oh yes, like you right?" His mother asked and Fili flushed looking at his hands.

"A roommate." Kili said "Like Bilbo!" He announced, Dis frowned and looked at her son. "Thorin's roommate! Bilbo! They share a room."

"Oh? Is that so?" Dis asked raising one of her eyebrows. Thorin cleared his throat.

"Yeah. Well... Kind of." He said, shooting Fili a glare as the teenager smirked at his uncle, fidgeting under his younger sister's gaze.

"He gardens and cooks!" Kili explained "And helps me with homework! And they do _it_ all the time!" Suddenly the news wasn't very funny to anyone anymore.

"Kili." Fili sighed "Stop talking." His brother turned to look at him, frowning.

"What? Why?" He asked and Fili stood patting his brother's shoulder, looking between the adults in the room.

"We'll leave you to it, yeah?" Fili said dragging his brother from the room and into the hall. Fili smiled tightly at a passing orderly.

"I don't get it." Kili announced looking up at his brother. Fili shrugged.

"Family shit man." He said, to which Kili protested that they were family and Fili had to grab his arm to stop him from going back into the room. "Grown up family shit. Fuck it, I wish you could still smoke in here." He muttered plopping himself down into a wheelchair. Kili kicked at the ground for a moment, glancing up to watch his brother play with his zippo before running over and flinging himself into Fili's lap. Fili grunted as his brother landed dropping the lighter as the wriggling twelve-year-old writhed about in his lap, accidentally punching him in the throat.

"Sorry!" Kili exclaimed and his brother glared at him reaching over and punching Kili in the thigh. It soon escalated and the boys were soon rowdily pull each other's hair and fighting in the hall until Thorin came out and found them tangled up with eachother in the wheelchair. He gave them a look. At the look both boys jumped up and began to follow him out.

"Are we leaving?" Kili asked and Thorin nodded "But. Can't we go say goodbye to mom?"

"No." Thorin said. "It's late, and she's tired. We should just home.

"Oh... Okay." Kili sighed and his hand closed around his brother's, for support. Fili tensed at the contact, but relaxed, it wasn't something Kili had done in a very long time, just a brotherly action, and it reminded Fili that they were family still.


	3. You Tell About The Saddest Book

**Chapter 3: You Tell About The Saddest Book You Ever Read, It Always Makes You Cry.**

"What are yah workin' on?"

Fili glanced up, shading his eyes from the sun that had managed to pierce its way down through the clouds. Bofur Broadbeam stood above him, with his upturned hatflaps. It was cold despite the bright sun. Fili was learning fast that it was always cold in Ered Luin.

"Math." Fili replied as Bofur leaned over his shoulder and pointed to one of the problems.

"That's wrong, that is." He proclaimed and Fili signed picking up his eraser, rubbing away the problem. "Need help?" Bofur asked taking the seat next to Fili.

"I need more then help." Fili lamented resting his chin in his hand. "I need a miracle." Bofur chuckled.

"Yah'll be fine." He said taking Fili's book. "Where are yer mates?" Fili shrugged.

"They're finishing a lab in AP Chemistry." Fili said. "Do _you_ understand any of this?" He asked waving his hand around the book and Bofur nodded moving closer to the boy.

"You know how to F.O.I.L?" Fili nodded "Well then. It's like this," Bofur said before launching into a new explanation of factoring, one that made much more sense then Smaug's or Balin's for that matter.

"Oh." Fili said. "Oh. Wow. I can't believe I didn't get this before." He grinned and looked up at Bofur. "Thanks." Fili bounced his pencil off the notebook as they lapsed into silence. They were sitting outside the cafeteria, at one of the round picnic tables. It was the kind made of metal chainlink and covered in rubber in the school's colors. There were other students sitting outside, but not many, a few at a far table, some sitting on the ground, more sitting on the cement wall. Most were indoors where they wouldn't get wet if it decided to rain, which, more often then not, it did. But Fili had felt suffocated inside the cafeteria with Herc and Jason's other friends, so he'd made up some excuse and crawled outside, not caring if his math book got a little wet. If he glanced over he could see his previous table through the tinted windows of the cafeteria. They seemed to not have noticed he'd gone.

"Laddie?"

Fili turned around to look at Bofur again. It seemed he'd asked Fili something.

"'m sorry." Fili muttered rubbing his eyes. "What did you say?"

"I asked if somthin' was wrong." Bofur told him. "Well, first I asked if you still wanted that address for the book store. Then I asked if ya was alright." Fili nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah I'd still like it." He said. Fili didn't answer the second question. He didn't want to talk about his mother or the fact that Kili had suddenly taken to getting rides from other people after school.

Bofur wrote the address down on the corner of Fili's notebook, with brief directions before smiling and standing, wondering away. Fili stood up and rushed over, after the teacher.

"Hey." He called out and Bofur turned. "I was wondering if you'd be my tudor. In math. Like the one I've got right now is great, but I'm not learning right now. And my uncle will pay you handsomely I promise that." Bofur smiled at Fili.

"I don't know if I've the time for it now." He said "I already have two jobs. But... Maybe we could meet once a week. How's that sound?"

"It sounds bloody brilliant." Fili said grinning with relief. "Like really. Thank Mahal. Thank _you._" Bofur grinned and patted Fili's shoulder before departing again, before he stopped, standing just in the doorway of the arts building and looking back at the lion-haired youth bent studiously over his math work. Bofur lingered for a moment, just watching before turning away and walking into the building.

Fili was swollen with pride by the time he left his 7th period. He had answered all of Smaug's questions mostly correctly, and he was _proud_. Puff-out-your-chest, walk-in-like -the party-didn't-start-until-you-got-there, grin-like-a-fool-cause-you-answered-the-questions- right proud. And it might not have been completely called for. But he strutted to his car like a badass, and once again was one of the last cars to leave. It was probably because the kids from Alg II were some of the only seniors to have a 7th. Fili bayed farewell to his friends, before getting into his car and blasted his radio, headbanging as The Scandals filled up the car with their classic punk noise.

"_Hey darling, are you gonna be free tonight? Free tonight. Hey angel, are you gonna see me tonight? Me tonight. Cause I've been waiting all my life, and I ain't wastin' no more time. Hey baby, am I gonna see you at the show? At the show._" Fili nodded in time to the music, navigating his way though the convoluted parking lot, patting his jacket pockets for his cigarettes and, upon discovering they weren't there, he turned around in his seat, digging though the pockets of his bag, until suddenly the car hit a curb and with a jolt, died.

"What?" Fili muttered sitting up and turning the key. Nothing. He turned the key again. Still nothing. "Shit. Shit. Shit." Fili cursed climbing out of the car and running around to throw open the hood. He surveyed the engine hastily, spotting the corroded cable connections on his battery. Fuck. He could clean a corroded cable easily. When the car was in his garage. And not his _mode of transport-fucking-tation_.

"Fuck." Fili muttered again running a hand through his hair. With a sigh he pulled his phone out of his pocket, still assessing the situation at hand, before turning back to his phone, unlocking it and quickly dialing Thorin's number. The line rang twice before emitting a shrill beeping. Fili pulled the phone away from his ear cursing himself as he watched it power down, battery dead.

"You've got to be…." Fili groaned kicking his tire hard enough to slam the hood of the Rambler, jumping at the noise the hood made. He cursed himself for being jumpy, and the car, and his phone, and, because he might as well, everything else too. Fili flopped down into his car, laying face down across the driver and passenger seats, his body bent over the center console, face buried in the seat that smelt like mildew and his mother's perfume.

"Yah need a hand?" someone called out and Fili twisted around to look out the window. Bofur stood outside the car, smiling like always, a stack of papers in his arms. Fili extracted one of his arms from under him and rolled down the window.

"I need a life." Fili informed the other man. Bofur chuckled.

"Come on, outta the car." He said. "What you need is a good book and some coffee. I'll drive you home afterwards." And he turned, crossing over to his own car, leaving Fili twisted up and half dangling in the broken Rambler. Fili grunted and wriggled his way out of the pretzel configuration he was in, slamming the car doors with his foot and rushing to catch up with Bofur. Bofur was making his way toward an old white truck, rusting around the edges and a broken arm rest on the passenger side, a broken heater/AC, and a broken blinker. The truck was just big enough for Bofur and Fili, who dumped his school things in the back, and Fili though that if they had another person, he and said +1 would be likely sitting on top of each other for Bofur could shift. But no matter how small or rusty, the truck started up with a purr that made Fili jealous.

"Fili Durinson, meet Maxine." Bofur said, lovingly stroking 'Maxine's dash. "Oh and be careful, there's a bit a sharp plastic over there." Fili looked down at the armrest on the door. Yes there was sharp plastic over here.

"Thanks so much, again." Fili smiled. "I mean. I would have been stuck here until I'd moped enough and decided to walk home, which could have been hours." Fili had thrown one or two or six temper tantrums in the past, and they had been known to last for longer then expected.

"And then ya'd be stuck walkin' home in the dark." Bofur said "There's all kinds of creepy crawly things in the dark."

"Yeah." Fili said with a snort. "Vampires and wargs right?"

"I was thinkin' more along the like of murderers and rapers and burglars."

"Oh." Fili said. "Well. Yeah. Those are bad too. Do you mind if I turn the radio on?" Fili asked and leaned forward. Bofur nodded. David Bowie filled the cab up and Bofur moved to change it.

"You can't change it." Fili announced. "You can't change _Bowie_." Bofur smiled at him and leaned back nodded, No, you can't change Bowie.

"How ya finding it, Ered Luin?" Bofur asked finally and Fili looked over, pushing his hair out of his face as the wind from the open window tangled it.

"It's okay." Fili shrugged. "People are nice here. The hospital is really nice. Like I mean it looks dingy and broken, but it's actually really nice, and I mean, it is one of the best cancer research place right? So. There's that."

"Why were you in the hospital?" Bofur asked, his brow furrowing with worry. Fili froze.

"Uh... Well. I-I wasn't in the hospital. Like I was. But not-not as a patient." Fili said looking down and picking at the fraying denim of his jeans. "I was there. Visiting." He nodded quickly and Bofur nodded slowly.

"It is a nice hospital." Bofur said finally, letting the subject rest, watching as Fili relaxed and patted his pockets for a fag. "Here." Bofur said handing Fili his box of cigarettes.

"Thanks." Fili said, taking one before examining the brand. He grimance. "Actually, on second though, I think I'm okay." Bofur laughed.

"Don't like Grand Prix?" He asked.

"Hell no," Fili replied with a smile. "They taste like burn bacon!"

"And what do you smoke, laddie?" Bofur asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Lucky Strikes of course," Fili told him and Bofur scoffed, turning the steering wheel, his blinker dinging. "What?" Fili asked still smiling.

"Nothing..." Bofur muttered as the street he was one turned into downtown Ered Luin, winding streets and store fronts, some of them painted bright, odd colors. Fili leaned out of the window, one hand on the door. He's never seen a town like this, gutters in the streets paved with stone, so much history and life left in the old girl yet, flats above store fronts, winding alleys and green lush parks, a giant sunk-in park over looked by a castle. This was a place of stories.

"Wow..." Fili muttered as Bofur parallel parked, "I didn't know this town had so much..."

"Life?" Bofur suggested shutting the car off. "I know. It's a little sleepy fishing village on the outside, but it's one of the best places I've ever lived. Come, out ya get lad." Bofur bustled Fili down the street, hanging on tightly to the lad's bag strap, making sure he didn't get lost in the action of the street, pulling him through the sea of faces, business women and college kids and people walking to and fore, coming and going. Bofur pulled him along, smiling to himself at the boy's wonderment. He didn't know where Fili and his brother had lived before, but it must not have been a much smaller city, probably one that wasn't built up on top of itself like Ered Luin.

The book store he tugged Fili toward was blue and on the corner of two streets, with big windows all around the store and gargoyles carved into the moulding on the outside. The shop's name was gilded in gold between two snarling faces, _Given's Books. _Bofur pulled Fili through the front door, the boy looking up and around at the buildings until his head disappeared into the shop. The shop was well lit from all the windows, the coffee shop in the front disappearing into a maze of book shelves. The shelves weren't metaphorically a maze, used to create the image of never ending rows of books, but actually very akin to a maze, some running horizontally other vertically, some bisecting others and turning into sharp angles leading to little nooks with chairs and other to walls of books and dead ends. The coffee house was all wood floors that creaked and groaned, but the book shelves sat on blood red Farsh carpets, that danced with all dim light.

"Mahal." Fili murmured as Bofur stepped up to the counter, Fili's hand now tightly clasped on the hem of Bofur's sweater.

"What can I get you?" The man behind the counter asked. He was a college student, probably, just a year older then Fili, with straight dark hair that fell down his back. "Oh, Mr Broadbeam. Didn't recognize you for a moment."

"That's quite alright, Lindir." Bofur smiled, pulling Fili up to the counter. "I'll have a coffee," There was an awkward moment before Fili realized it was his turn to speak and ordered himself a coffee as well. They talked for a good long while after they got their coffee, chatting on about books and Fili's little brother and about Erebor Mining and Imports and Bofur laughed at Fili's pride in his uncle's company and finally Fili asked Bofur about something he'd said the other day.

"Aye, I make toys." Bofur nodded, leaning back in his chair. "With my cousin. We own a shop together." Bofur grinned wider suddenly. "Y'know, I want to show ya somthin' actually. Come on." Bofur stood and Fili quickly followed after him. Bofur led the boy out of the shop and down a side street, pointing things out to Fili as they went and he smiled at the lad's awe. They didn't have to go far before Bofur turned and pushed his way into another store, painted yellow and inbetween two set of scaffolding set up to work on the upper half of the store fronts to either side.

The store was small and smelled like the most delicious baked goods and sawdust. Through a door on the left, Fili glimpsed the marking of a pastry shop, glass case and smells too good to come up from this earth. The shop Bofur had led him into was small, a room with a stair case that led to another floor, but filled to the gills with handmade toys of all fashions. There were wooden soldiers and wind up cars and dragons with wings that flapped and kites and puppets and stuffed things with button eyes and sawdust innards.

"This is." Fili looked around. "The shop. Your shop." He met Bofur's eyes and found the other man smiling at him.

"Aye." Bofur said. "That side is Bombur's. He bakes some of the most wonderful things. And back here," He gestured to a door in the back of the shop. "Is my workshop. Well it's Bifur's too. But. Well. Come along." Fili followed him through the double doors, into a dimly lit room carpeted with sawdust and shavings. A long high work bench occupied most of the room, covered with half finished toys and tools. The room was warm, but not overly so, just cosy.

"Wow." Fili murmured walking up to the bench, his hand ghosting the wood shavings, fingers finally picking up on a wooden lion still immersed in a block of wood. "I tried to learn to widdle," He announced, examining the lion's mane. "But, I sort of just kept cutting myself, so I stopped. Kili's really good at it." He laughed and looked up a Bofur, the older man watching him with his characteristic smile, eyes bright. In the shop's orange light Bofur looked younger, his face softer somehow all the years of worry washed away. Fili swallowed and smirked. He could smell Bofur from where they stood, wood and tobacco and something like the earth.

"Do you make all the toys?" Fili asked swallowing again as he moved to put the lion back, breaking eye contact. He could see Bofur shake his head.

"Nah." Bofur said. "We make the wooden ones, a some of the kites, but the others come from other toymakers." Fili nodded and turned to face Bofur once more, the sleeve of his sweatshirt catching on some kind of tool and pulling down a good bit of sawdust and a clamp in a horrendous clatter.

"Shit." Fili cursed kneeling down to salvage whatever he'd done. Bofur was there on the floor with him in an instant. "Sorry." Fili told him as they picked through the sawdust.

"It's quite alright lad," Bofur told him, still smiling. Fili rolled his eyes and reached out to push against Bofur's shoulder. Bofur laughed again and responded by blowing sawdust at Fili. Fili gasped through the wood shavings and stuck out his tongue in an incredibly childish manner, before picking up a handful of wood shavings himself and throwing them at the older man.

"This is going to escalate quickly," Bofur announced shaking wood shaving out of his hair. "I'm stopping this nonsense."

"Quite right." Fili nodded as they stood, his voice filled with mock seriousness that Bofur didn't miss. "Nonsense is for children. And now is the time to put away childish things, here in this toy shop."

"There is heavy machinery in this toyshop!" Bofur told him matching his tone. "Children could easily get hurt!"

"Oh yes. Defiantly." FIli nodded solemnly reaching behind Bofur to retrieve something. "Especially on this... This... Whatever this is." He said holding up one of Bofur's tools.

"That's a {tool name}! And yer right children could hurt themselves on it." Bofur told him taking the {tool} away from Fili. "Which is why I'm taking it away from yah." Fili's mouth dropped and Bofur smirked at him.

"I'm not a child." Fili proclaimed crossing his arms before spotting something else and rushing across the room to another table. Fili turned holding a kite gingerly in his hands. "Can we fly it? Please?" Bofur smiled.

"Well, when yah ask like that."

It was late when Fíli finally got home, the sun was setting behind a bank of clouds, sending little fingers of orange light out. They'd spent most of the day at the park, until the rain had grown too heavy to ignore and they'd retreated back to the Broadbeam brother's shop where they'd noshed on some of Bombur's wonderful pastries. Bofur hadn't been lying when he'd said they were wonderful.

Fíli hadn't wanted to admit that he had to go home, and hadn't for longer then he should have, until Bofur finally played the adult card and forcibly removed the boy from the window seat, saying that it didn't matter if he wasn't finished with his coffee, he could take it with him. Sometimes Fíli forgot. He forgot that Bofur was twice his age plus a few years, forgot that Bofur was an adult, and more then that a teacher at his school.

Bofur dropped Fili off directly in front of the house, Maxine rumbling on the street.

"I had a lotta fun today." Fili said smiling widely. "Like the most fun I've had in a good long time." Bofur smiled and dipped his head in a very gentlemanly gesture.

"Well I'm glad I coulda helped then." Bofur said leaning over to open Fili's door for him. "but yah best be gettin' home. I don't want yer uncle to get after me for keepin' yah out."

Fili snorted. "Thorin can deal." He jumped out of the truck and grabbed his bag from the back. "Thanks about Bofur, a lot."

"Don't mention it." Bofur responded. "See you at school."

"Yeah." Fili nodded waving as Bofur started to drive off. With a sigh he started toward the house, head down, smiling stupidly at his damp boots and damper grass. It truly had been a great day, all because his stupid car had decided to fuck him too. He was still smiling when he reached the door, unlocking it and slipping inside, almost silently.

Inside was a madhouse of noise. Bilbo was in the front hall at the phone, desperately talking though it to someone, and Balin and Dwalin were present as well as Gandalf all three of whom were in the living room with Thorin who paced restlessly, wearing footprints into the warg skin rug, chain smoking. Dwalin was on his phone as well and Gandalf was smoking his pipe as though nothing was the matter, though it appeared something was very much the matter.

"Thorin you really must sit down." Balin was saying when Fili entered the living room unnoticed by the preoccupied adults. His brow furrowed and he dropped his bag onto the floor loudly.

"Is everything okay?" He asked as Bilbo came hurrying into the room. Thorin turned dropping the cigarette he held and Fili flinched as Dwalin roared something incoherent but victorious sounding. Gandalf smiled and nodded once as if he'd proved something to everyone in the room and Bilbo swooped down to collect the dropped cigarette before it caught the house on fire.

"Fili!" Thorin said crossing to him and hugging his nephew tight. "Mahal we didn't know where you were."

"Uh… I was out. The car died and then my phone." Fili said pushing himself away from his uncle. "Did something happen? Is Kili alright? I wasn't suppose to pick him up was I? Shit. Is mom alright? I'm sorry." Thorin smiled and patted Fili's shoulder.

"Nothing's happened." He said. "You mother is fine. Kili's fine. We just didn't know where you were."

"Scared your uncle half to death." Bilbo smiled appearing at Thorin's elbow. Fili looked around the room.

"Sorry…?" He offered "Uh… Yeah." Thorin sigh and rubbed his face. Fili could see the exhaustion and the worry as the adrenalin slowly ebbed away.

"Never do that again, do you hear me?"

"Yeah okay." Fili nodded. "I didn't plan it or anything. It just happened."

"Then don't let it." Thorin scolded and pushed past his nephew and out of the room. Fili's jaw tightened. He wasn't a child and he didn't deserve to be treated like one. He turned from the room and grabbed his bag marching up the stairs and making as much noise as he could before slamming his door and throwing his book back into the wall, knocking down a shelf of vinyl albums which tumbled to the floor. Fili groaned and trudged over to pick up the fallen albums. He rubbed his eyes as he sits on the ground, crossing his legs before the mess in front of him. Fili knew these albums well, knewwhat they mean and what they don't mean.

There was a knock at his door that startles him. He turned to see Kili standing in the doorway with a textbook.

"What's up?" Fili said rubbing his face again.

"Uncle's busy and all flustered and stuff." Kili announced and Fili nodded.

"That would be my fault." Fili said and motioned for his little brother to come inside. "What's that?"

"My history book."

"Homework?"

Kili nodded.

"Need some help?"

Kili nodded again and Fili grinned standing and walking over to his desk, smashed up in the corner, between boxes and an indoor tree. Kili fell asleep at the desk that night and Fili slept on the floor after he tugged and tucked his brother into his bed.


End file.
